Vers (Brie
Larson) is a member of Starforce—an intergalactic Kree battle squad. She is mentored
by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) who repeatedly reminds her not to let her emotions
affect her duties, specifically of the firing of powerful energy beams from her
hands. Their mission is to defeat the Skrulls, a species of shape-shifting
aliens led by Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) who's obsessed with probing Vers' memory
in hopes of getting information on one Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Bening) and
her work with a light-speed project. Incidentally, Vers interacts with that
woman, not as Lawson, but as the artificial intelligence generated leader of
the Kree, all while experiencing fleeting memories of a different life that's
foreign to her. Then everything comes clearer when she literally crashes into
Earth in the year 1995, meets an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury (Samuel L.
Jackson), and discovers that she once had a life on this planet. And her name
was Carol Danvers. She was an Air Force pilot where she worked alongside her
best friend, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), for Dr. Lawson. With the Skrulls
having followed her to Earth, Carol must then figure out the truth as to what's
really happening and use her powers to save the day.

Captain Marvel is both intriguing and interesting as Marvel
finally releases an on-screen super powerful hero that is both female and
feminine. Those who were not familiar with Captain Marvel backstory before
watching must surely be shocked to learn that the most powerful superhero of Marvel
is actually a woman. That handle alone makes the film a worthwhile watch. The
strategies implemented by the film’s producers such as hiring a woman as
co-director and getting an acclaimed actress instead of a blockbuster superstar
for its lead really worked well for the film’s success in communicating its
message across all audiences. The non-linear storytelling approach may be confusing
at first but everything becomes cohesive in the middle. The film does not dwell
too much on exposition and it worked pretty well as revelations become more
interesting as the story progresses. Lead actress Larson aptly balances out three
roles in three timelines--that of Vers, of Carol Danvers, and of Captain
Marvel. Law as Yon-Rogg provides perfect support. Mendelsohn as Skrull leader
Talos and a cat named Goose give the film a different flavor of balanced humor
and sentiment—along with the 90’s musical scoring. The fight scenes and the
computer graphics may not be that spectacular but the gem of the film lies on
its talented cast, and focused storytelling of Marvel’s “herstory”—clearly putting
more emphasis on the heart as more powerful than the mind.

Captain
Marvel is said to be a “girl-power” movie—and it really is. For most part of
the film, it is emphasized that Carol has been going through a lot of pains,
rejections and discriminations as a woman trying to fit in a man’s world. She is
always told to not let her emotions get in the way of what she wants to
accomplish. Women stereotyped as the “emotional” kind is tackled in the film
head-on—and is brutally deconstructed with the presence of the most powerful superhero
to date—Captain Marvel. Despite the many hardships and struggles to fit-in,
Carol’s determination paid off. The tenacity and strength of a woman’s heart is
clearly demonstrated in the film—making the seeming weakness of a woman being
emotional more of a strength than a weakness. Women bonding is also apparent in
the film with the presence of Carol’s best friend—a woman and a mother, who
once experienced discrimination as well for being one. The kind of bonding
women have creates a sense of trust and brings out the best in each other. Family
values are also depicted in the film as Talos leads his flock as a father
deeply concerned for his family’s safety and well-being. Still, the film inevitably
has scenes of violence about which young children must be guided while watching.
CINEMA deems the Captain Marvel as
appropriate for viewers 13 below with parental guidance.—RPJ

At a
time when a woman in Harvard Law School was a rarity, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg (Felicity
Jones) would enroll “in order to better understand (her) lawyer-husband”,
Martin (Armie Hammer). In remission from
cancer, Martin becomes a willing house-husband, cooking and baby-sitting their
daughter as Ruth continues with her studies and at the same time attending
Martin’s law classes for him. Then Ruth
discovers one case—Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue.Single and acting as caregiver to his mother,
Charles Moritz (Chris Mulkey) is arbitrarily denied a $296 tax deduction
because he is male when the US law assumes caregivers are female.The Ginsburgs and ACLU attorney Mel Wulf find
this as a gender discrimination against men and offer their services pro bono,
and the rest is history.

Smart
cinematography, crisp editing, and engaging dialogue all combine to spare the
movie from the talking heads syndrome.Based
on the true story of the woman whose perseverance, intelligence, and chutzpah propelled her to
the US Supreme Court, On the Basis of
Sex seems a tad too simplistic.The impressive performance by British actor Felicity
Jones in the lead role may have sprung from the reported approval of the real
Justice Ginsburg who told Jones, “I have seen your work; you can do it!”Revolving around one albeit landmark case, the
script takes an admiring viewpoint—perhaps because it is written by Ruth’s
nephew, Daniel Stiepleman—and falls short of portraying a truer-to-life success
story of the iconic Ruth Ginsburg.And
because the real Ruth Ginsburg is still active and alive at 85, the movie takes
on the coloration of an image-building endorsement used in political election
campaigns.

All
things considered, even though this woman of substance comes across almost like
a caricature in the film, it is nevertheless an inspiring one, capable of
empowering young women in a male-dominated profession.Many a woman would be envious of Ruth for
having a husband who is beyond supportive.Many a father would learn a thing or two from Mr. Ginsburg on how to
handle a teenage child.Ruth’s passion
is inspiring, her sense of justice instinctive and keen.What the script lacks in story-telling detail
is adequately filled by the factual epilogue that comes after the last cameo
shot of Justice Ginsburg ascending the steps of the Supreme Court. The audience leaves the theater realizing how
great, indeed, is the Jewish woman who struggled against gender bias and
triumphed in a society that was not ready to be kind to either Jews or
women.Although the film is wholesome in
general, its theme may not be appealing to children.—TRT

June (voiced by Brianna Denski)
is only ten but her grasp of engineering is way beyond her years. Her genius
and imagination are encouraged by Mom (Jennifer Garner) and Dad (Matthew
Broderick). Dad even pays the bill when June’s engineering experiments damage
the neighbors’ yard and smash their windows. Undaunted, June and Mom team up to
create the blueprint for Wonder Park, where every child can find every possible
ride and amusement he can wish for. But June’s imaginary park collapses when
Mom falls ill. June wanders into the forest one day and finds the park there,
decrepit with a dark cloud descending on it. Together with her animal friends,
June saves the park from destruction.

The movie takes
the path with the least harm. Loss, illness, separation,
depression, anxiety—all these traumas are neutralized for children’s
consumption. For that, we give credit to the makers of the movie.
But stripped of its impact as well is the wonder in Wonder Park. Neither
the visuals nor the sounds render the park awesome as it should be.
Even June doesn’t endear herself to the audience, many of whom are
children. We were hoping she’d charm us like the little girl Boo
in Monsters Inc., and her friends Sulley and Wazowski. Perhaps it’s because Wonder
Park doesn’t unravel June’s character long enough for us to appreciate
her. It’s as if the movie is in haste to usher
in the theme of loss and depression, and get them over
with as quickly.

What the movie lacks in technical execution, it compensates in moral
lessons. It is as much a learning journey for children as it is for parents.
It’s a confidence booster, assuring children that they are loved and valued,
they are the “wonder in Wonderland”. Notice the way Mom and Dad install the
balance between fantasy and reality and the way they convey this lesson to June.
Without extinguishing her confidence and imagination, they tell her to continue
dreaming and trying, but without endangering herself and those around
her. Of course, in real life, it is next to impossible to not
go ballistic when a child’s adventures threaten life and property. Still, the
movie conveys the positive message so well we leave the theater light and cheery.—MOE